SET‐LRP of acrylonitrile in ionic liquids without any ligand

Use of ionic liquids as reaction media was investigated in the design of an environmentally friendly single electron transfer‐living radical polymerization (SET‐LRP) for acrylonitrile (AN) without any ligand by using Fe(0) wire as catalyst and 2‐bromopropionitrile as initiator. 1‐Methylimidazolium acetate ([mim][AT]), 1‐methylimidazolium propionate ([mim][PT]), and 1‐methylimidazolium valerate ([mim][VT]) were applied in this study. First‐order kinetics of polymerization with respect to the monomer concentration, linear increase of the molecular weight, and narrow polydispersity with monomer conversion showed the controlled/living radical polymerization characters. The sequence of the apparent polymerization rate constant of SET‐LRP of AN was k_app ([mim][AT]) > k_app ([mim][PT]) > k_app ([mim][VT]). The living feature of the polymerization was also confirmed by chain extensions of polyacrylonitrile with methyl methacrylate. All three ionic liquids were recycled and reused and had no obvious effect on the controlled/living nature of SET‐LRP of AN. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

石墨烯及其复合材料在锂离子电池中的应用

石墨烯是一种单原子层厚度的石墨材料,具有独特的二维结构和优异的电学、力学以及热学性能。同时它也是一种具有良好应用前景的锂离子电池电极材料。电极材料的微观结构对其性能有很大影响,利用石墨烯获得具有特殊形貌和微观结构的电极材料,能有效改善材料的各项电化学性能。本文综述了石墨烯及其复合材料在锂离子电池中的应用研究进展。在负极复合材料中,石墨烯不仅可以缓冲材料在充放电过程中的体积效应,还可以形成导电网络提升复合材料的导电性能,提高材料的倍率性能和循环寿命。通过优化复合材料的微观结构,例如夹层结构或石墨烯片层包覆结构,可进一步提高材料的电化学性能。在正极复合材料中,石墨烯形成的连续三维导电网络可有效提高复合材料的电子及离子传输能力。此外,相比于传统导电添加剂,石墨烯导电剂的优势在于能用较少的添加量,达到更加优异的电化学性能。最后对石墨烯复合材料的研究前景进行了展望。     

Synthesis and thermal energy storage properties of the polyurethane solid–solid phase change materials with a novel tetrahydroxy compound

Based on the phase change theory, a novel tetrahydroxy compound (THCD) was designed and prepared. Depending on the spatial structure of the tetrahydroxy compound, a form-stable thermoplastic polyurethane solid–solid phase change material (TPUPCM) was synthesized via employing PEG as soft segments, while multi-benzene ring structure made by 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate and tetrahydroxy compound as hard segments. The composition and structure of THCD and TPUPCM, the TPUPCM’s the weight average molecular weight and number average molecular weight, dissolving and melting abilities, phase change behaviors, thermal performances and crystalline morphology were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, multiangle laser light scattering apparatus, differential scanning calorimentry, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, thermogravimetry analysis system, wide-angle X-ray diffraction, polarizing optical microscopy. The results show that the solid–solid phase change material owns excellent phase change properties and a broad processing temperature range. The heating cycle phase change enthalpy is 137.4 J/g, and the cooling cycle phase change enthalpy is 127.6 J/g. The started decomposition temperature and the maximum decomposition temperature are at 323.5 and 396.2 °C, respectively. Furthermore, the solid–solid phase change material is dissolvable, meltable and can be processed directly, and has great potential applications in thermal energy storage.     

Poly[tetraamminecopper(II) bis[tris(μ2‐cyanido‐κ2C,N)dicuprate(I)]]: a unique CuI–CuII mixed‐valence complex containing anionic cuprous cyanide layers and [Cu(NH3)4]2+ cations

The title compound, {[Cu(NH₃)₄][Cu(CN)₃]₂}_n, features a Cu^I–Cu^II mixed‐valence CuCN framework based on {[Cu₂(CN)₃]⁻}_n anionic layers and [Cu(NH₃)₄]²⁺ cations. The asymmetric unit contains two different Cu^I ions and one Cu^II ion which lies on a centre of inversion. Each Cu^I ion is coordinated to three cyanide ligands with a distorted trigonal–planar geometry, while the Cu^II ion is ligated by four ammine ligands, with a distorted square‐planar coordination geometry. The interlinkage between Cu^I ions and cyanide bridges produces a honeycomb‐like {[Cu₂(CN)₃]⁻}_n anionic layer containing 18‐membered planar [Cu(CN)]₆ metallocycles. A [Cu(NH₃)₄]²⁺ cation fills each metallocyclic cavity within pairs of exactly superimposed {[Cu₂(CN)₃]⁻}_n anionic layers, but there are no cations between the layers of adjacent pairs, which are offset. Pairs of N—H...N hydrogen‐bonding interactions link the N—H groups of the ammine ligands to the N atoms of cyanide ligands.     

Synthesis and Opto-Electronic Properties of Cholesteric Cellulose Esters

Cholesteric materials display unique optical properties which can be exploited in opto-electronic applications such as light emitting diodes. The key feature is the position of the wavelength of the emitted light relative to the one of the selective reflection band. We have synthesized a set of cellulose derivatives displaying the cholesteric phase with the aim to investigate the correlation between chemical structure and properties. Phase transition temperatures, the chain packing, the wavelength of selective reflection but also absorption and fluorescence spectra were investigated as a function of the degree of substitution (DS), the nature of lateral substituents, the composition of doped systems and blends of different cellulose derivatives. Investigated were furthermore the degree of circular polarization of the emitted light for guest–host systems and for cellulose systems with chromophores linked by covalent bonds to the cellulose backbone as well as their performance in light emitting diodes. The conclusion is that the optical properties can be accounted for on the basis of the model of a one-dimensional photonic crystal. The limiting factor with respect to opto-electronic applications is the poor control of the uniformity of the helix formation and orientation.     

Low-temperature orientationally ordered structures of two-dimensional C60

Orientationally ordered structures of two-dimensional (2D) C(60) at low temperature have been investigated theoretically and experimentally. Using total energy optimization with a phenomenological potential, we find the ground state is a close packed hexagonal lattice in which all the molecules have the same orientation. Several local minima of the potential energy surface are found to be associated with other 1 x 1 lattices as well as 2 x 2 lattices. The energies of the orientational domain boundaries of the 1x1 lattices are also computed, and two kinds of which yield negative values. A majority of these theoretical findings are confirmed by our low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy study of a 2D C(60) array supported on a self-assembled monolayer.     

Rapid Fabrication of Hollow SiO2 Spheres with Novel Morphology

The hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) occurred on the surface of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microshperes immediately after these microshperes were prepared in TEOS. Micron-sized hollow SiO2 spheres were obtained by calcination of the coated PMMA microshperes. It was found that the final hollow spheres were constituted by small SiO2 particles.     

一类新型荧光化学敏感器形成激基缔合物的温度效应

对一类具有分子识别功能的荧光分子敏感器化合物，在水溶液中形成的分子内激基缔合物的温度效应进行了研究。进而提出该类化合物在水溶液中进行了内单体和分子内激基缔合物转化的机制。通过分析所得的热力学数据，同文献值相比较，推导出该类化合物在水溶液中可能存在的几何构型，为该类化合物在作为探针应用时提供理论依据。